Vehicle-wheel.



O. ZANGAN. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1914.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

OTTAVIO ZANCAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE-WHEEL Ap plication filed June 12, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, O'ITAVIO ZANCAN, a subject of the King of Italy, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

The general object of the invention is to prevent the complete deflation of a pneumatic vehicle tire upon being punctured. And to this end the invention resides in forming the innertube of such tire of a plurality of independent tube sections, each of which may be inflated irrespective of the others.

Other objects will appear, and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which 2- Figure 1 shows a segment of a vehicle wheel partly in section and elevation with my improved tire attached theretor Fig. 2 is a detail cross section of the tire and the rim. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective showing the rim construction together with the inner tube indicated bolster and the locking means for the bolster.

The felly 5 of the wheel a is provided with the usual rim 6 which may be of the demountable or any other preferred type. The tire b may be formed of any of the'well known substances now. employed in the manufacture of tires such as rubber or a combination of rubber and cloth. This tire comprises van.outer portion or shoe 7 and an generally by 'c. The shoe 7 is adapted in the ordinary manner for embracing the tube 0 and in external appearance corresponds to that of the ordinary shoe; evidently however this shoe'7 is somewhat peculiarly formed in that it has inwardly directed radial partitions 8 spaced apart for equal and suitable distances, the space between adjacent partitions forming compartments, the function of which will hereinafter appear.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the tire'b is formed of a plurality of sections 9, the ends of each of which are closed. These sections are preferably formed of soft rubber and in area correspond approximately to the area of the compartments between the partitions 8. As will Specification of Letters Patent.

tive compartments by felly 5. In length Patented Mar. 30, 1915. Serial No. 844,703.

be observed by reference to Fig. the tube sections which are disposed in the said coinpartments completely fill these when inflated as shown. Each tube section is provided with a nipple 10 adapted for connection to the ordinary inflatingapparatus. and a cap 11 is provided for each nipple. Manifestly with this construction the sections 9 are independently inflatable and as a result of this and of the other constructions and arrangements the deflation by puncture of any section will not affect or disturb the condition of the other sections. When the outer casing or shoe is adjusted into position on the rim 6, the sections 9 before being inflated may be introduced into their respecpassing them through openings in the felly 5, and alining openings formed by the presence of grooves in the adjacentedges of the shoe 7 One of the rim openings is shown in Fig. 3 and indicated by 12. The openings formed by grooves in the adjacent edges of the shoe correspond in area to the openings 12.

In Fig. 3, 13 indicates a plug of suitable material for the opening 12. In the same figure it will be observed that the outer end of the opening 12 is counter-bored as indicated by 14 and that the outer end of the plug 13 is provided with a head so positioned as to nest within the counter-bore 1i and be flush with the inner surface of the the plug 13 is such that it will extend through the opening formed by the grooves in the adjacent edges of the shoe and by thus functioning as a fillet for the opening 12 it will additionally function as a bolster for the tube section 9. The plug 13 is centrally provided with an opening 16 which receives the nipple 10 upon adjusting the plug into the opening 12 and before applying the cap 11 to the nipple 1O. 17 indicates a hearing plate surrounding the opening 12. The bearing plate is channeled and its sides bear on the sides of the rim and are secured by suitable fastening elements such as tacks 18. The body portion of the plate 17 is provided with keepers 19-49 herein shown as npstruck from the said body and arranged for receiving the opposite ends of the lock in the form of an oblong plate 20 provided with an opening 21 for receiving the nipple 10. hen, the lock 20 is positioned as shown in Fig. 2 it extends transversely of the plug 13 and bears upon the head thereof and tube section, without requiring jacking of thus operates to hold the plug against disthe Wheel axle.

placement. '22 indicates supplementary look What I claim as new is pivoted atone end to one end of the plate 17 In combination a wheel including a felly, and adapted to be swung over the lock .20 having openings, channeled bearing plates when the same is positioned as shown in Fig. surrounding the openings, plugs arrange 2 and to have its free end removably secured in the openings, keepers mounted on the in any preferable manner to the plate such bearing plates, a 1ocking plate cooperating as by a thumb screw 23 which' may be with theke'epers to holdthe plugs against screwed through the plate 17 and into an displacement, asupplemental locking plate opening in the'fellyfi. having one end pivotal-1y connected and its Obviously with theforegoing structure it," opposite end detachably connected to the will not be "necessaryto demount the shoe 1 bearingplate for preventing the turning of in the event of anyof'the tube sections 'the first mentioned 1ockingplate',= and a the tire becoming deflated by puncture or pneumatic tire arranged onthe wheel and after opening the lock'and ,the-supplemen' the plugsand locking plates.

otherwise, because injtheevent of suhlde including inner :tube sections bearing onjthe flating the plug m y, be. readily removed plugs and having'nipples extending through tary lock whereupon the defective section Signed at New York"n'theicounty of may be drawn through the opening 12 by; NewI York and State of Ne 'York this 9th pulling onthe nipplie of sllGlll sectlion. It day of June A. D. 1914. will here .be observe that w ien tiat se Y mentof the wheel containing the defecti$e OTTAVIO ZA section is located, by turning the Wheel until \Vitnesses:

the said segment is uppermost .in the wheel, FRED A. KUNEMUND,

will permit of withdrawing the defective C. JAMES ORONIN. 

